License plate frame



Nov. 21, 1933. CAMPBELL 1,936,287

LICENSE PLATE FRAME Filed Sept. 22, 1932 Patented Nov. 21, 1933 LICENSE PLATE FRAME Alphonso S. Campbell, Winchester, Mass, 215- Signor to A. S; Campbell Company, East Boston; Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application. September 22, 1932 The object of this invention is to-provide an improved construction of frame to be fitted. about automobile license plates to improve their appearance when in use. ,In particular I provide an adjustable frame which may be collapsed or. con tracted to embrace the margins of the plate and be suspended thereby, the plate itself being attached directly to the vehicle.

My invention will be well understood by refer-. enoe to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, where-- Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a plate having a frame mounted thereabout as it would appear. in

use on the vehicle; 1

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; I

Fig. 3 is a rear View of the plate and frame detached;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on the line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 2; and 1 r Fig. 6 is a side elevation of one of the parts.

Referring now to the drawing, I provide a set of angular members '7 formed from solid stock, as appears clearly from Fi s. 2 and i, for purposes which will appear as the description proceeds, and w ich be of generally circular section as shown. These are grooved as at 9 along their inner sides to receive the margin of the license plate P at the corners thereof. As appears from Fi s. 2 and 4, by virtue of the solid cross section, the flanges defining this groove present substantial bodies of metal to the plate and the margin of the latter opposes a solid seat. The frame is completed by side members 11 in the form of tubes into which the ends of members '7 telescope, the tubes being split along their inner sides as indicated at 13, Figs.

" 2 and 4, the splits aligning with the grooves 9 and members 7 and fitting about the margin of the plate P.

By virtue of the telescoping arrangement obviously the frame may be adjusted both in height and length as may be required and in practice I am. enabled to provide a frame which will Without alteration other than such adjustment fit any size of plate now in use throughout the United States. To secure the parts in adjusted position and securely clamped about the margins of the plate, the rear face (see Fig. 3) of tubes 11 may be provided with the slots 15 in which work clamping screws 17 which conveniently may be of the type commonly referred to as self- Serial No. 634,322 I 6 Claims. (o1. 40-125) tapping screws, being essentially case-hardened wood screws, which screws extend thr'oughthe slot and tap into the solid body of metal'provided by the corner pieces 7, as will be clear from Fig. 4.

In order to clamp the parts securely together and to hold the edges of slots 15 against spreading with consequent distortion of the tube and also substantially to reintegrate the strength of the tube, I may provide the washerdiir bridge pieces 19, a preferred construction of which rnay be understood from Figs. 4 and 6. These pieces are here shown as formed of suitable stampings and may be round in as seen in 3, with a fiat upper face to receive the headiof the screw and are provided with a marginal flangecut away, as best seen in Fig. 6, aiong'th-e surface of a cylinder to conform to the tube 17. There are thus provided the terminal portions 21 which engage the outer face of tube 11 remote from the walls of slot 15, and, as will be apparent from Fig. 4, when screw 17 is tightened the portions of the tube at the sides of the slot will bedrawn firmly against the solid :corner pieces '7 and the tendency will be to drawfthe sides of the slot toward each other rather than 1 to spread them.

The construction shown constitutes a frame as distinct from a holder in that it is suspended by the plate which is itself directly attached to the vehicle, for instance, to the cross-bar 23 illustrated in Fig. 1, as by means of the slots 25 such as are customarily provided adjacent one margin of the plate. The securing means here shown permits the easy application of the framed plate in a manner which avoids any displacement of or distortion of the frame. The securing means comprises bolts (see Figs. 1 and 2) having the heads 27 which underlie the overhang of the frame at the front face of the plate and have at least one flat face presented adjacent the frame to permit the bolts to be placed in position without interference with this overhang. To prevent the bolts from turning in such manner that the head might come in contact with the frame and pry it off, they are provided (see Figs. 2 and 5) with square shanks 29 which may slide transversely in the slots 25 but cannot rotate therein, thus maintaining the heads of the bolts in the position shown in Fig. 1. At the rear face of the frame a washer-like spacer 31 is provided to be interposed between the plate P and the bar 23 or similar support to which the plate is attached to space away the plate sufficiently to prevent the frame from being crushed against such a support or the plate bent. As seen in Fig. 2, this spacer underlies the overhang of the frame at the rear face of the plate and, as seen in Fig. 5, is provided with at least one fiat side opposing the frame. It is provided with a square opening likewise fitting the shank of the bolt so that in cooperation with the slot 25 it is locked against rotation in the position shown. Thus the parts may be very readily assembled when the plate is to be attached without possibility of mistake and the bolt may be set up without danger of any part turning and coming in contact with the frame and tending to pry it oif.

I am aware that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and I therefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive; reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. An adjustable frame for a license number plate comprising a circuit of inter-telescoping sections presenting collectively an inwardly facing groove to receive the edge of the plate and comprising outer substantially cylindrical tubular members having longitudinal slots, inner members received therein, bridge pieces extending across said slots and bearing on the walls of the outer members remote from the sides of the slots, and clamping elements passing through the slots securing said bridge pieces to the inner members.

2. An adjustable frame for a license number plate comprising a circuit of inter-telescoping sections presenting collectively an inwardly facing groove to receive the edge of the plate and comprising outer substantially cylindrical tubular members having longitudinal slots, inner members received therein, bridge pieces extending across the slots and partially embracing the outer members, and clamping elements passing through the slots securing said bridge pieces to the inner members.

3. In combination with a license number plate having slots to provide for its attachment to the vehicle, a frame therefor adapted to be suspended thereby comprising a circuit of inter-telescoping sections presenting collectively an inwardly facing groove to receive the edge of the plate, said frame being collapsed about the margin of the plate, and means for attaching the framed plate to a vehicle comprising a bolt having a head with a fiat side to underlie the front portion of the frame, a washer-like spacer having a flat side to underlie the rear portion of the frame, said bolt having a part of its shank formed to nonrotatively interlock with the slot in the plate and with the spacer.

4. In combination with a license number plate having slots to provide for its attachment to the vehicle, a frame fitted about the margin thereof to be suspended thereby and projecting at either face of the plate, and means for attaching the framed plate to a vehicle comprising a bolt having a head with a flat side to underlie the front portion of the frame, a washer-like spacer having a flat side to underlie the rear portion of the frame, said bolt having a part of its shank formed to nonrotatively interlock with the slot in the plate and with the spacer.

5. In combination with a license number plate having slots to provide for its attachment to the vehicle, a frame fitted about the margin thereof to be suspended thereby and projecting at either face of the plate, and means for attaching the plate to a vehicle comprising a bolt having a squared shank fitting the slot, a spacer having a fiat side underlying the rear portion of the frame having an opening non-rotatably fitting the shank.

6. An adjustable frame for a license number plate comprising angular members of solid cross section grooved along their inner side to provide flanges receiving between them the corners of the plate and presenting extended bearing surfaces thereto and side members consisting of split tubes having their splits aligned with the grooves and receiving the ends of said angular members, said tubes having slots in their rear face and clamping screws entering said slots and tapped into the corner members.

ALPHONSO S. CAMPBELL.

its

i i-t ifs 

